In the Jailhouse Now
Wilsall, Montana
2026

This is a timely post of sorts as this year is the 25th anniversary of the release of the sound track from the movie “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”

The Faithful Guardian
Bozeman, Montana
2026

This gargoyle has been faithfully guarding our property, and us, for many years now. He’s done his work well (for the most part) but not without suffering battle scars from his most notorious opponent, the weather. He’s missing a leg and his face is horribly disfigured. He also used to perch on the column he can only lean against now. I think he’s well past retirement age and will be needing a replacement soon.

Step-By-Step
Bozeman, Montana
2026
(photo by Connie Blackwood)

On my first trail walk since my heart transplant. I walk a couple of miles every day with little difficulty but I discovered that I was a bit unstable at times walking across rough ground sometimes (where rough is a very relative term in this case, as it could just mean a rough lawn vs. a sidewalk). So we took a short walk on one of the trails up behind our cabin the other day to see how I would do there. I took a walking stick for stability just in case. It went well, other than the fact that I kept being bothered by the fact I was having to be careful walking on trails that I had made myself a few years ago. Recovery progress in this case is literally step-by-step.

As an aside, when I built these trails, I lined them with rocks like are seen in this photo. I thought it was a one and done kind of task but every fall bears wander through the area looking for food, including under long section of the rocks I had so carefully placed. They were not careful at all in replacing them after gleaning whatever grubs, bugs, ants etc. they found underneath them. So there’s another step in my recovery I can attempt to accomplish one of these days.

Menagerie of the Imaginary #6
Bozeman, Montana
2026

Menagerie of the Imaginary #5
Bozeman, Montana
2026

Menagerie of the Imaginary #4
Bozeman, Montana
2026

I assume this lantern is a tribute to the Chinese New Year–the year of the Fire Horse. According to an AI inquiry, every 12th year is a year of the horse, but Fire Horse years occur only every 60 years. The last Fire Horse year was 1966, the year the Chinese Cultural Revolution began.

Menagerie of the Imaginary #3
Bozeman, Montana
2026

Menagerie of the Imaginary #2
Bozeman, Montana
2026

Menagerie of the Imaginary #1
Bozeman, Montana
2026

The first large lantern of the Menagerie of the Imaginary parade.

Parade Ready
Bozeman, Montana
2026

Spectators jockeying for position on a hill overlooking the starting point of the Menagerie of the Imaginary lantern parade organized by Bozeman’s Random Acts of Silliness group. Perhaps not surprisingly, the Fashion Queen and I are enthusiastic supporters of Random Acts of Silliness.

This photo is a new milestone of sorts for me. It’s the first photo I’ve taken in 2026, and the first since my heart transplant in June last year, that is worthy of a POTD post. In fact it’s the first photo at all since then that I’ve taken with any camera other than my cell phone. I’ve enjoyed going back to older photos, and will continue to do so, but it felt good to actually get out acquiring new photos again.